Scaffold-bracket.



No. 674,003. Patanted May l4, l90l. A. N. HELSTROM.

.SCAFFOLD BRACKET.

' (Application filed on. a, 1900.

(No Model.)

TTE STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

AXEL N. HELSTROM, .OF TOWER, MINNESOTA.

SCAFFOLD-BRACKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,003, dated IVIay 14, 1901.

Application filed October 6. 1900- Serial No. 32,257. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, AXEL N. HELSTROM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tower, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Scaffold-Bracket,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to scaifolds in general, and more particularly to scaffold-brackio,ets or attachments for ladders, the object of the invention being to provide a construction which may be attached to a ladder to support a scafiold-plank in operative position and which may be easily and quickly engaged and :5 disengaged to permit of adjustment thereof to the latter.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing bracket being broken away to permit showing on a large scale. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the bracket on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section of the lower portion of the hook-bar and showinga 3o modification including an adjust-able hook.

Referring now to the drawings, the bracket of the present invention comprises a supporting-bar 5, the outer end of which is bent upwardly and rearwardly at a sharp angle to 5 the portion 5 to form a hanger-bar 6.

At the free end of each of the bars 5 and 6 is formed or secured a block 7 and 8, respectively, which extends transversely from its respective bar and at the same side there- 0 of, and each of these blocks has-a rectangular recess 9, which is adapted to receive the side of a ladder, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The sides or rails of the ladder instead of bearing against the bases of the 5 recesses lie against rollers 10, which are mounted rotatably on pins;11,which are passed transversely through the recesses and are secured at their ends in the blocks at the sides of the recesses. Thus each bracket has a rolling contact with the ladder-rail.

In order to hold the bracket fixedly upon the ladder-that is, against sliding thereonengaging hooks are provided. These books are formed upon a hook-bar 15, which is in the form of a metallic strap or plate having slots 16 therethrough,and through which slots are engaged the books 17, formed upon the blocks 7 and 8, so that a hinge connection is formed between the hook-bar and the blocks and the' bar may be pivotally moved. One hook 18 is formed at the upper end of the hook-bar and above the block '7, While adjacent the lower block 8 and above said block are formed additional hooks 19 and 20, so that in practice the upper hook may be engaged with the rung of a ladder and one of the remaining hooks may be engaged with a second rung therebelow, the plurality of lower rungs permitting the application of the bracket to ladders having variously-spaced rungs. The lower end of the hook-rod is continued below the lower block 8 and is shaped to form a handle 20.

In the application of this bracket the hookrod is rotated to project the hooks laterally, and the bracket is applied to receive the rail of a ladder in the recesses of the blocks. The hook-rod is then rotated in the opposite direction to assume the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and is then lowered to engage the proper hooks over the rungs. The bracket is then ready to have the scaffoldboard 21 placed on the supporting-bar 5.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings there is shown a modification of the invention wherein the lower portion of the hook-bar has a series of lugs 22, separated by interspaces, and instead of a plurality of lower hooks a single hook 23 is provided and projects from a plate 24, adapted to lie against one face of the hookrod. The plate 24 has flanges 25 at its sides, which project beyond the hook-plate, and through these flanges is passed a removable pin 27, which is adapted to lie between a pair of lugs and lock the plate 24, and therewith the hook, against movement. The lower hook may be thus accurately adjusted for engagement over a rung of a ladder.

In practice various modifications of the structure shown may be made, and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for thevarious parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will be noted, furthermore, that the hooks 17 are held in engagement with the bar by means of the heads 10 of the pins 10, which heads are disposed to bridge the openings of the hooks between the ends of their bills and the face of the bar. Thus the hooks can be disengaged only when the pins are withdrawn.

To provide for lengthening the portions 5 of the brackets, two links and 31 are slidably disposed on each of the portions 5, each of said links having an offset reduced portion 32, which snugly receives the portion 5, while the body of the link has a greater opening to receive slidably an extension-bar 33, which may be moved longitudinally to vary the effective length of the corresponding portion 5. The links 31 have laterally-extending arms 34:, the arm of each of said links having parallel fingers 35, between which is rotatably mounted a roller 36. A set-screw 37 is provided for clamping each of the links 31 and its extension-bar against the face of the portion 5 to hold the eXtension-bar against movement and to hold the roller 36 against the rail of the ladder opposite to the roller 10. Thus when the hooks 18, 19, and 20 are disengaged from the rungs of the ladder the bracket may be slid along the rail, but will be prevented from dislodgment.

What is claimed is- 1. A scaffold-bracket comprising a hanger and a support mutually connected and each having ablock at its free end, a recessin each block for reception of the rail of a ladder, ears upon the blocks, and a hook-rod having hooks thereon, said rod having slots through which the ears are pivotally engaged, whereby the hooks may be moved into and out of operative positions.

2. A scaffold-bracket comprising a hanger and a support mutually connected and having terminal hooks, and a hook-bar with which the hooks of the hanger and support are pivotally connected, said bar having hooks formed integral therewith and spaced for interchangeable engagement with the rungs of a ladder.

3. A scaffold bracket comprising a hanger and a support mutually connected, blocks at the free ends of the hanger and support and having recesses to receive the rail of a ladder, friction rollers in the recesses, a hook rod having slots therein, and ears upon the blocks pivotally engaged through the slots of the hook-rod, the hooks of the rod being adapted for engagement. with the rung of a ladder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

AXEL N. HELS'IROM.

Witnesses:

RICHARD WILLIAMS, F. SIEBERT. 

